Rainy Days and Tanteis
by overtlycovert
Summary: A storm is approaching, an English assignment undone and a locked front door at the Mori Detective Agency. Chapter 3 is up! Taxi Ride Home- "Darn rain," the detective thought. reviews are appreciated!
1. English Class Boredom Effect

**Title:** Rainy Days and Tanteis

**Author:** Kitsune-chan

**Genre:** my favorite, random ranichi fluff 3

**Rating:** K

**Summary: **A storm is approaching, an English assignment undone and a locked front door at the Mori Detective Agency. REVIEWS and CONSTRUCTIVE CRTISISMS ARE WELCOMED :D

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Meitantei Conan, as I owe it all to the great Gosho Aoyama-sama. But that doesn't mean I can borrow them for a little while. xD

A/N: The story is set back when Shinichi was still a high school student, unaware of the dangerous drug that would change his life forever. Remember, shinjitsu wa itsumo hitotsu:D

CHAPTER ONE: English Class Boredom Effect

Cumulonimbus clouds have enveloped the sky: a sure sign of rain. As the minutes passed, the sky grew darker and the wind, colder. It was during these kinds of days wherein the atmosphere could easily send a tired soul drifting into slumberland. And this was exactly what was happening in Teitan High School, specifically in class 2-A.

_"Of all the subjects we could have today, it had to be English…," _Ran said in her mind as she yawned for the tenth time that hour. At least, she thought it had been ten times.

Mouri Ran, 16, would seem like your typical high school girl, leading an average life. But in fact, she is not your ordinary student. She is a black belter in karate, having won numerous competitions all over Japan. She is also the only daughter of Kogoro, a detective who didn't quite have the tools for the trade and Eri, a lawyer. Sadly, Kogoro was a womanizer, which eventually caused the couple's divorce. One of Ran's wishes was quite simple: to get her parents back together again. She had tried to do this herself a number of times, but her constant stubbornness had kept her from doing it successfully. But right now, all Ran could wish for was for the bell to ring.

_Tap-tap-tap_

The raindrops have started to fall. Slowly, at first, then quite heavily, making a sort of banging sound at the windows.

_"And__ now rain? Wow, this would really help me focus..,"_ she spoke in her mind sarcastically. Nakamura-sensei had been discussing about famous foreign writers and their works for well around an hour by that time, and Ran wasn't enjoying a minute of it. She stared out by the window and watched a bluebird feed her off springs at a nearby tree while waiting for the sound of freedom to echo in the halls.

Her gaze then suddenly shifted to empty chair beside her. Her mind was filled with thoughts about the male occupant of the chair. Shinichi had yet again done another cut-me-out-of-class-so-that-I-can-solve-this-case disappearing trick.

_"Shinichi-kun, you don't know how lucky you are to be out of school right now_." However, her thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched banging sound that was surely not caused by the rain.

_BRRRRRIIIIINNNNGGG!!_

At last, the bell had rang! The class of 2-A was suddenly jolted into consciousness, glad to hear that their "suffering" is already over. They quickly packed their bags, while some were grabbing or putting random things like books and such in their lockers. But Nakamura-sensei was not ready to dismiss them just yet.

"Class, can I have your attention for a moment please? Thank you."

Everyone went back to their seats as soon as they heard his command. Nakamura was not the kind of teacher you would want to mess with after all. He continued, "Since it's a weekend and all, I thought I'd give your assignment right now, so that you will have enough time to do it."

Groans were heard from all corners of the room.

"You will do a research about a foreign author of your preference. Find out information about them such as their hometowns, works, quotes…well, you get the idea. Oh, and it's due on Monday. Any questions?"

"None sir."

"Very good then, goodbye class and have a nice weekend,." he said with a grin as he left the room. He was really fond of giving his students extra home work especially those over-the-weekend ones, making him one of Teitan High's most disliked teachers.

With Nakamura gone, Ran can finally go home. She stood up and was to open her door to freedom when a hand suddenly grabbed her arms. She turned around to see who did it.

"Sonoko! Na ne?"

"Ran, Ran, Ran. _Tsktsk._ Don't tell me you forgot?"

"Forgot about what?" Ran started to recall what Sonoko was talking about.

"Boy-hunting…mall…after school..." She began saying random words to remind Ran of the conversation that had earlier.

"Shoot, I forgot about that! Sorry, but I can't go with you today, not with all the home works that need to be done."

"That can wait, and the library is closed anyways, so you won't be able to research much." Sonoko said with a smile.

"Demo, demo…I'm just not feeling like malling today. Besides, I heard on the news yesterday that a storm was headed towards our way."

Sonoko was about to answer her back, but her _real_reason for choosing not to go with her ran through her mind. A devilish grin appeared on her face as she said, "Oh, I see. I guess I'll be going then. Gomen nasai, for intruding in your schedule."

"Sonoko…"

Ran just stared at her as she was walking towards the door. She said one last thing before she left though. "Have fun with your date with Shinichi-kun!" she said together with a matching grin and wink as she closed the door.

"Date? With that detective geek?" Ran cheeks were hot and in a shade of crimson red. But then she realized that her friend had already left, and that she was the only one left in the room. She decided to forget about it and set for home.

"Looks like I'll be walking home alone tonight." Ran said while looking at Shinichi's vacant chair one last time before she closed the door.

To be continued. nn Yeah, I know. My stories tend to be short and hanging. x.x

Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated, as this only my second fic so I'm assuming that my "beginner" status is quite evident in my stories. Thanks and look out for the next chapters:D


	2. A Walk Alone?

A/N: Yay, second chapter is now up! n.n This one is quite loaded with fluff –shifty eyes- Happy reading!

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CHAPTER TWO: A Walk Alone?

Ran has now exited Teitan High and was on her way home. However, reality was just not really on her side that day. First of all, she was forced to walk home alone, as Shinichi had another case to solve. Not that this was the first time he did this, but then again, he rarely took more than an hour just to solve a single one. Next was that a storm was nearing Tokyo, and its presence is clearly felt at Beika City. Last was that Ran didn't bring an umbrella with her.

As she was walking down the streets, the rain started to grow stronger. Realizing this, she began to walk more briskly, but still careful enough as to not slip on the watery sidewalk. She also used her bag to shield her from the rain, but it wasn't really as effective as an umbrella.

_If I don't get home soon, I might catch a cold or something_, she thought.

All the while she could have sworn to have heard footsteps following closely behind her, and they seem to moving at quite a fast pace. This, of course, caused her to walk even faster, to the verge of even sprinting. Suddenly, it seemed that all the rain drops had stopped falling, but only where she was standing. It was as if there was a thing that was keeping them from dropping on her. Something like…like…_an umbrella!_

She turned to see who was following her all this time, ready to perform one of her specialties, the back kick.

"Shi...Shinichi-kun!" she blurted out while almost giving him a good hit on the head. Good thing he managed to dodge it just in time. "I miss all the after crime scene action and ran through the rain and this is the thanks I get?" Shinichi said with half-moon eyes.

"Baka! You should've at least spoken about your presence! I though you were a stalker or something…," Ran shot back while continuously attempting to give him a good kick for almost giving her a heart attack. The slippery road knocked her off balance in her rage though, making her slip. Luckily, Shinichi dropped the umbrella he was holding and was able to catch her. But in the process of doing so, their lips met as they posed ala Romeo and Juliet. Both were in shock when they realized what was happening, shown by their widening eyes and reddish faces. Both waited for each other to make a move, but neither had done so for a couple of seconds. Time seemed to slow down as they remained motionless; perhaps even secretly enjoying what was happening to them that very moment.

Unfortunately, Shinichi's phone rang, returning him back to his senses. He let go of her and immediately looked at the opposite direction so as to avoid her gaze. Ran, too, had done the same thing, as they began thinking to think about that little incident of theirs; if it was real.

"Moshi-moshi?" Shinichi took out his phone and clicked on the accept call button. No one was on the line though. Baffled, he looked at his phone's screen and found out that it was a text message, not a call, which caused the phone to ring. He felt slightly embarrassed, but since Ran didn't seem to notice it, he just brushed the feeling off.

He now read what the" moment-interfering" message had to say. _It better be good news._

"Oh, it's from Megure keibu. He just wanted to congratulate me on another case solved. "he said, his voice still a little bit shaky. However, Ran seemed to be unaware of what he just said, as she was still dazed, her face completely red. She appeared to be deep in thought.

_Did we just? Me...__and__ Shinichi-kun...No way! This is just a dream…right?_Ran was still in doubt of what had transpired a few minutes ago.

"Ran! Ran! Snap out of it!"

"Huh?"

"Just forget about, err, what just happened. If we don't get home soon, the storm might intensify. You don't want to catch a cold now do you?"

"All right then. I'm still shocked I suppose. I'll try to forget about it." But in reality, a mental image of their kissing scene was haunting her mind.

He picked up the umbrella he dropped and the twosome continued their walk until they reached the Mori Detective Agency. Shinichi accompanied Ran up the stairs as he normally did, but he knew that something was amiss.

"What's the matter Ran?"

"The door, it's locked."

"You could always kick the door open" Shinichi sneered.

"Hmph."

Shinichi then noticed a note beneath the rug near the door. He grabbed and read what was written on it out loud. "Ran, I'm out with my drinking buddies. Won't be home until midnight, maybe even later...hahaha! –'Tousan"

_Damn that old geeze__r, always thinking only about himself._

" 'Tousan! He never learns now does he? Knowing him, he's probably even too drunk to go home now! Where will I sleep tonight, especially with this storm?"

"No wonder Ojousan left him. Anyways, why don't you sleepover with me tonight? That is, if you want to. I reckon that it's the only option you have right now if you want a nice bed to sleep on."

"But I didn't even bring any extra clothes with me today!"

"Don't worry, I think kaa-san left some of her clothes at home before she left. But if you don't mind sleeping alone on the cold pavement tonight, then I can't do anything to convince you…"

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I still can't figure out how to use those darn header-footer tools. -.- Somebody teach me:))

Will Ran agree to sleepover with Shin-chan or will her stubbornness take over her? Taxi Ride Home. Once again, reviews and constructive criticisms are welcomed:D And I promise to make the next one longer of course. 'Til next update!


	3. The Taxi Ride Home

**CHAPTER THREE: Taxi Ride Home (Shinichi's POV)**

With that said, Shinichi began to descend the stairs.

_If Ran wouldn't crack, I don't know what I'd do next_. he thought.

"Wait Shinichi! I'll, I'll sleepover with you ok? Just don't leave me alone out here." Ran said while reaching out for her friend's arm.

_Haha, works every time! _

"You really think I'd leave you here? And you always said that detectives are bad actors!" he snickered. Ran was about to react violently again, but his next words stopped her. "I'll always be here with you, no matter what happens. I'll NEVER leave you behind. Remember that."

"Shinichi-kun…" Ran's face has yet again been engulfed by redness.

"Well, let's go already before the rains get stronger." He then held the still blushing Ran by her hand and led her down the stairs.

Once again, they were standing on the cold pavement. Because of the worsening weather, Shinichi decided to hail a cab instead of walking. As they were boarding the cab, Ran couldn't help but ask, "Is this really necessary? Your house is only a good 30-minute walk."

"I don't want to risk your health. Besides, it's not a big deal." He replied with a smile.

_What's up with him being so sweet all of a sudden? The kiss, the concern, the kiss…_

Thanks to Shinichi's great observation skills, he was able to notice that Ran was again deep in thought. He knew_ exactly_ what was going on in her mind. "Genki nan desu ka?"

"Me? Haha, I'm fine." _Lies._

"You're still thinking about the incident we had aren't you?"

"What made you think so?"

"I'm a detective of course. Shinjitsu wa itsumo hitotsu!"

"I can't believe that fact slipped by me just now." she said while faking a laugh.

He held her cheek and moved it gently, in such a way that their eyes would directly meet. "Listen to me Ran. Just forget about whatever happened today. Well, at least, let's just try to." He paused to catch his breath, and then continued,"Don't let it bother you too much ok? Be strong for me."

Ran had felt the seriousness, the concern in every word he had spoken. She waited for what he had to say next.

"Pinky swear?" Shinichi asked as he lifted his hand and held out his pinky finger.

It her some time to process what he had just said..."Pinky swear! Domo Arigatou, Shinichi-kun" Tears began to flow from her ocean blue eyes.

"Stop it with the drama Ran-chan. You have much more better things to waste your tears on." He then motioned her to rest her head on his shoulder while he hugged her tightly.

They remained in this position for the rest of the ride home_. What is up with Shin-kun today? He seems so different, like a gentleman, as if all his pride had been washed away temporarily. _She thought hard and looked up at his face, making her cheeks hot_." Perhaps the rain has this kind of effect with detective nerds."_ She concluded while giggling silently and snuggling her head on Shin-chan's shoulders.

Meanwhile, the teenage detective had his own inner ramblings. _What is up with me today?_

He then began recalling the events that took place that day, particularly those that had to do with Ran.

_Be strong for me..I'll never leave you behind..is it wrong to be concerned about your health? _These words kept echoing in his mind. It seemed as though it were a whole different person who uttered such words; it was definitely not from the arrogant and over-confident Kudo Shinichi that he had always known.

Another thought popped into his mind: _Where the hell did I get my sudden burst of courage from?_

Everyone who have met Shinichi had always commented about how unusually calm and collected he was, even under the most intense situations, otherwise known as grace under pressure. He would often just laugh this off, his ears tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. When it comes to his _real_ feelings, however, Kudo was as shy as a turtle lacking its protective shell. He had the tendency to mask how he really felt about something, especially if it had something to do with relationships. Speaking of relationships, there is this certain special someone in his life that he wanted to say those three sweet words to…

…and oh, if only she knew that all that he said was pure truth…

"Shinichi-kun! Shinichi-kun! Wake up already sleepy-head!"

Yet despite Ran's efforts, he still remained in his ever-famous thinking stance.

"Is everything all right back there?" The cab driver couldn't help but ask after hearing all those noises at the backseat of his car.

"Hai, just waking up my companion here. He seemed to have fallen asleep during the trip." She replied as she tried to fake a laugh. _Companion? Nice choice of words genius…_

Then he turned back to the sleeping detective. Running out of choices, she decided to give in to her last resort. "For damn's sake, WAKE UP SHINICHI!" she shouted together with a matching punch aimed at his face. This, obviously, did the trick, as he finally snapped back to reality. The pain from the blow came shortly afterwards.

"Ow Ran, lay down on the karate a bit. That hurts!" he retorted while rubbing his swelling cheek. "And I MEAN really hurts," he frowned.

"Baka, it's your fault! If you responded quickly in my first attempts to wake you up, then I wouldn't have done that."

"And now it's my fault?"

She ignored what Shinichi had just said and continued, "Anyways, do you happen to have any plans on leaving that cab?"

"Demo, I haven't even paid the fare yet…"

"Don't worry Shinichi-kun. It's all been taken care of!" she happily declared while patting her wallet inside her pocket. _That smile, it was so pure…_

"You didn't have to. I'm the one who suggested taking a cab so I should also be the one to pay it."

"Just consider this as an early thank you present…for helping find a place to stay in for the night! Now are you coming out of there or not?"

"Fine, you win." he said while grinning. _Good. _He grabbed their umbrella and opened it as they stepped outside the cab. They said their thanks and apologies to the cab driver as they walked towards the gate of the Kudou mansion.

The wind blew past the twosome, making them shudder from the coldness it brought with it. While Shinichi fiddled in his bag as he looked for his keys, Ran began to observe the house that she would be spending the night in. The most noticeable thing was its size, it was colossal compared to most houses in the neighborhood. It wasn't a surprise though, Shinichi coming from a well-off family and all.

Then she noticed another thing: all the lights were turned off! _Oh yeah, Shinichi-kun's parents have been overseas for quite some time already. I can't believe I forgot about that!_ One realization came after the other until eventually, the most shocking one hit her in the face.

_He's living alone…living alone since his parents are overseas…so that means that tonight, me and that deduction maniac…were all alone in this big mansion…on a stormy night…alone? OH CRAP!_

First of all, HONTOU NI GOMEN NASAI! It's been months since I last updated. My laziness is starting to manifest itself again. x.x

-evil laugh- At last I have succeeded in writing a longer(at least for me & compared to previous chapters) and fluffier chapter! Victory is mine!! Hahaha, –watches readers slowly back away- Whoops, I think I overdid it. XD

With all these unexpected events, could Ran have forgotten about their English assignment? Find out on next update! Ja ne!


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